Ronit J

Agent of Happiness (2024) Synopsis:

The documentary team follows two happiness agents in their forties who spend a month and a half on the road twice a year, going door-to-door with their questionnaires in isolated villages in the Himalayas. The filmmakers undertake to provide an intimate insight into the daily lives and desires of Bhutanese people, and also seek the answer to the universal question of whether happiness can really be measured. Gross National Happiness promises a heart-warming journey into a mysterious, fairytale-like world, which is the exact opposite of the social order dominated by consumption and desires.

Agent of Happiness (2024) Review:

Richa Chadha recommended this documentary on a recent episode of Dekh Bhais. The idea seemed very intriguing to me, and I decided to watch it over the weekend. I’ve read up on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness philosophy, but I didn’t know enough about Bhutan’s culture. So, watching this documentary was quite a refreshing experience, getting to see Bhutanese people in their own country talk about their lives and home.

As much as the subject of this documentary is Amber Kumar Gurung, his presence is akin to the camera. He is the conduit through whom we see Bhutanese society. However, when work hour ends, roles change, and Amber—the surveyor—becomes one of the surveyed. That alone is just one of the many beautiful things about this documentary. Since this is a documentary, my review will be slightly different from regular reviews.

A Warm & Empathetic Look Into Real Life

Agent of Happiness establishes what the Gross National Happiness philosophy is right in the beginning. Once Amber & Guna Raj Kuikel’s roles are clear, we follow them along their journey. They interview several different people from all walks of life. An aging farmer with ample land and cattle, a school girl on the cusp of adulthood dealing with her mother’s alcoholism, a trans woman who wishes to be born as a beautiful lady, even a trio of women married to the same man openly talking about how he’s not the best husband, but the real gift was finding each other.

What I found especially stunning was the raw honesty with which these people spoke to Amber and the camera. Almost as if the camera didn’t exist. None—except for the man with three wives—felt like they were performing. They all spoke casually, giving us a glimpse into their lives. And as we learn about them, we slowly become aware of the fact that the Gross National Happiness philosophy isn’t as perfect as it seems.

Yes, everyone claims to be happy with their simplistic lives. However, they also voice their concerns and problems with the same carefree attitude as they did praises for the king and their country. These are real people, and they show themselves to us, warts and all.

By the end, I felt I just wrapped up a vacation in Bhutan. I met so many people, saw their lives unfiltered, and now knew more about Bhutan and its culture than I did before the documentary. A simple and lighthearted, albeit bittersweet watch.

Unbiased & Bittersweet

I mentioned how the film shows every subject’s life unfiltered. By extension, that is also true for Bhutan’s culture. As beautiful and happy the country might seem, it isn’t without its share of troubles. The biggest twist in this whole narrative, which I found particularly interesting, was Amber’s own citizenship. He is a Nepali whose citizenship was revoked in the 90s. At least at the time of filming, he was still for his citizenship to be reinstated. I don’t know if he’s a citizen or not, but the very fact that a non-citizen is charged with documenting citizens’ happiness was a poetically cruel twist.

The film actually opens with Amber’s domestic life. Throughout the duration of this documentary, we see him take care of his mother, go on dates with his girlfriend, and bring up marriage prospects. However, the fact that he’s not a citizen is a major hurdle in him fulfilling his dream of getting married and living a fuller life. Amber is the surveyor when he dons his uniform, but he’s also a subject. He is exactly like the people he’s interviewing. He has happiness in his life, but he also has his share of sorrows.

This unbiased and unfiltered look at Bhutan is perfectly mirrored through Amber’s life. As the film progresses, we can’t help but ponder critically about the Gross National Happiness philosophy and its effectiveness. After all, so many people say they’re happy, yet they also recount several troubles.

While the documentary isn’t overtly political, the political undertones exist for those who are looking for them. These elevate the documentary from being a simple observation into one that demands critical engagement.

Agent of Happiness (2024) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

During the film, Amber’s girlfriend mentions wanting to go to Australia. The film ends with her ready to depart and Amber seeing her off at the airport. After that, Amber heads to the hills, where he finds a beautiful location and records a video of himself dancing. As he does so, we see supers on the screen listing out his own Happiness Score. The documentary ends with a final humanisation of the government official, highlighting his own happiness score.

The film started with Amber’s daily routine, proceeding to then highlight his duties as an official. Coming full circle, the film ends with him being a regular citizen and his happiness score revealed to us. To me, this was a bittersweet ending to a real life episode in Amber’s life, one that also gave us insights into Bhutan as a country and its people.

Honestly, the ending leaves you with several emotions and questions with regards to Bhutan. How happy is Bhutan? Is the Gross National Happiness philosophy effective? How can it be improved? That and so many more.

Is Agent of Happiness (2024) worth watching?

Yes. Agent of Happiness is a documentary well worth the watch.

In Conclusion:

Agent of Happiness (2024) is a wonderfully bittersweet & unbiased observation into Bhutan’s philosophy of Gross National Happiness. A must watch!

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• Mother (2009) | Film Review
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